Teeth Whitening Gels or Toothpaste?

Posted on: December 8, 2018

As the holidays begin to approach in full swing, having the perfect smile for your family’s holiday photo is necessarily important. A pearly white smile is the best asset that a person can own, but are your teeth really pearly white? If a person has yellow or stained teeth, no need to worry, there are plenty of solutions to get them back to sparkling and clean!

With numerous whitening options to choose from, narrowing down the search may seem overwhelming, frustrating, and downright difficult. To keep the whitening options simple, toothpaste and gels are the easiest, most accessible, and commonly used go-to options to begin with. Knowing the uses and benefits of these products can assist in getting a general idea of how teeth whitening can help your oral health.

Whitening toothpaste

The classic and the originator of a clean white smile is toothpaste. Most all toothpaste brands now offer whitening paste so that a person can keep their smile brilliantly white without the cost of going to a dentist for a whitening application.

Whitening toothpastes are great for removing surface stains caused by drinking coffee, wines, and overall bad eating habits. This is because they contain special abrasive cleaners and chemicals to fight stains while keeping the teeth healthy and clean.

However, toothpastes with whitening agents will not cure discoloration since hydrogen peroxide is not an active ingredient. The American Dental Association (ADA) states that bleaching with hydrogen peroxide helps remove surface stains and deep discoloration on the teeth. Hydrogen peroxide can be found in many other whitening products, yet whitening toothpaste is great for aftercare use and upkeep between whitening.

Whitening gels

Whitening gels are a huge step up from using just regular toothpaste and are more penetrating with its cleaning power. Unlike whitening toothpaste, it is necessary to wear trays or molds that hold the gel inside to apply to the teeth.

Whitening gels contain bleach, which not only cleanses the surface but also penetrates and helps the overall appearance of the teeth. The particular bleach that is used in whitening gels, which is carbamide peroxide, is a slower reacting agent that breaks down surface stains and removes any deep discoloration of the teeth.

Gels can be administered by dentists or can be conveniently purchased over the counter. Teeth that are badly stained, may not see the best results using over the counter whitening products. Whereas, those whose are teeth mildly stained, or slightly discolored may have tremendous results when using gel whitening products purchased in store.

Wondering if whitening toothpaste or gel is better? Come in for a visit!

To make the right decision and get the best effect from using whitening products, feel free to call us to set an appointment to discuss your options! Our professional staff is trained to give our patients guidance and the peace of mind of making any decisions about their oral health. Are you ready for your smile to be picture perfect? Contact us to schedule a visit, we will be happy to give you an amazing bright smile again!

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